In good news, the South Dakota State Bar wants to protect South Dakotans from further malfeasance by killer Jason Ravnsborg and suspend the only elected official ever impeached in South Dakota from practicing law:
The Disciplinary Board of the South Dakota State Bar wants the Supreme Court to suspend former-Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg’s law license for two years.
The board issued the recommendation on May 19, 2023, which was obtained by SDPB.
…In a blunt assessment of Ravnsborg’s position as a lawyer in the state, the disciplinary board said Ravnsborg violated professional conduct standards and eroded public confidence in the legal profession [Lee Strubinger, “South Dakota Bar Wants Ravnsborg’s Law License Temporarily Suspended,” SDPB Radio, 2023.06.28].
In bad news, the State Bar would only keep Ravnsborg out of legal malpractice until August 2024. The disciplinary board recommends applying a 26-month suspension retroactively as of Ravnsborg’s conviction date, June 21, 2022. The board notes that Ravnsborg “has not practiced law since his removal from office,” which should be a relief to everyone but which means the past 12 months and counting of a retroactive suspension would have no practical or punitive effect. If 26 months is the proper punishment for Ravnsborg’s lawyerly misconduct, those 26 months should start from the date the Supreme Court rules on the board’s recommendation.
Besides, the last thing we want is Ravnsborg being able to hang out his shingle just in time for the 2024 general election and cash in on his Trumpism by litigating challenges to President Biden’s fair and square reëlection.
Even if the Supreme Court imposes a longer suspension, the disciplinary board recommends that Ravnsborg “be deemed qualified to act as a legal assistant under such conditions of employment and supervision as the Supreme Court deems appropriate.” Ravnsborg could thus sign on with election deniers and other anti-democracy agitators to help concoct legal attacks on the 2024 elections.
In technical news, the board is recommending this punishment not because Ravnsborg drove distracted and killed a man but because Ravnsborg violated Rule 8.4(d) of the Rules of Professional Conduct for South Dakota lawyers [see SDCL 16-18A), which says “It is professional misconduct for a lawyer to… engage in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice.” The board identifies three specific violations of that rule, one of which includes misconduct preceding his killing of Joe Boever:
i. Ravnsborg’s repeated statements to law enforcement officers who stopped him for traffic offenses that he was the Attorney General were improper and an attempt to use his office for improper purposes;
ii. Ravnsborg’s failure to accept responsibility for his conduct in killing Boever and his failure to acknowledge the detrimental impact it had on the legal profession;
iii. Ravnsborg’s concerns over the impact of the incident were more focused on his political and military careers than the victim, the victim’s family and the public he served [links added; South Dakota State Bar Disciplinary Board, Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law, Recommendation and Formal Accusation, filed with South Dakota Supreme Court 2023.05.19, in Strubinger, 2023.06.28].
The board says Ravnsborg’s misconduct harmed “the image and integrity of attorneys, the bar association, and the legal profession as a whole.” Strubinger reports that Ravnsborg formally denied the above allegations on June 14, setting in motion a review by retired judge Bradley Zell and a hearing before the South Dakota Supreme Court.
Should be suspended forever. Just a slap on the wrist for a dirty, filthy killer.
The SDSBDB (the acronym alone is hilarious) is just full of sharp, intelligent, and hustling members, innit. Sometimes it’s difficult to accept that virtually every position and job in South Dakota is run like the Amateur Hour by people too stupid to recognize incompetence and corruption. (The preceding statement is rank sarcasm.)
Law license “suspended” and not put through a shredder? A real injustice!
Lieutenant Colonel Ravnsborg should face a court-martial, be thrown from the military and lose his retirement pay for lying to civil authorities under oath.
Screwdy Rudy needs permanent disbarrment even though he has, as of today, a proffer agreement with Jack Smith.
My close personal friend Lar is right. Mr. Ravnsborg should be branded. A court-martial with the stripping of rank shoulder patches and his saber broken in two right in front of him. He should experience a beastly cashiering ceremony, and be rightly drummed out of the military.
I am huge proponent of Jason Ravsnborg, I am one of the fortunate peope that got to meet with him as he traveled the State. He had a passion to meet with, and represent all the citizens of this great state, and he did it often. He often sat down with people in one on one meetings, let alone by doing Coffee Round House Discussions. He was the first Attorney General of our State actually cared about what people of this state thought, and I know from meeting with him, he took that tragic accident to heart, while at the same time trying to avoid admitting any guilt, as we all do in any event of an auto accident
It became political the during the first day he took the job, and promised to hold the State Government accountable for its actions, that meant ruffling feathers in the Executive Office, the Judicial System…He spent, or should say dedicated his time to searching for answers related to Sex, Drug, and Child Trafficting, let alone he defended the State against the Federal Govt like no A.G prior, and he chose to hold the Govt accountable in relation to the Covid Pandemic…He ruffled many feathers, and it showed up within the Corrupted Legislature.
He should NOT lose his livelyhood, mainy cause he was found Not guilty of intentioally causing the death of a fellow citizen,it was ruled an accident, let alone, in the lend, he chose to take the plea of No Contest, which in the end, he finaly admitted to participating in the incident, but had no intention of hurting anyone, nor causing the incident. NO ONE goes to prison for where someone dies in an auto accident, NO ONE.
The Impeachment Trial is a Political, NOT criminal, therefore, unless he is found guilty in a court of law, he should NOT lose his law license.
For all you who made the claim that Mr Ravsborg was driving drunk, I, nor any of my colleages have ever seen him much less take a sip of beer, he is not a drinker, the most he had that night was a can of coca-cola, and that was backed up by several people him that night.
Accidents happen, and when somone dies at the result of them it is tragic, but that does NOT mean the driver intentionally killed or caused the accident And anyone who had ever had to defend themselves in a court room, in light of being accused of damages, you understand, you never admit guilt prior a jury trial. Never. You are told to take the 5th, protect your 4th Amendment Right, and Stay Silent.
He was found innocent on ALL felony charges, no criminal activity occurred, despite being assessed the class 1 misdeneanors.
The political establishment is showing their true colors here, by requesting for his license to be taken form him, and I think I know who is behind it. I could go down all the names in that S.D Legislature, and figure that much out…
You all impeached, and removed the most constitutional, and dedicated Attorney General we ever had, because of an auto accident.
South Dakota’s crusade against equal rights for women was being propelled by incel Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg — an obese, extraordinarily homely confirmed bachelor, killer and member of the Church of the Holy Roman Kiddie Diddlers with little hope of attracting a mate himself because he’s just so creepy.
Republican South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has said that the Melody Schopp/Scott Westerhuis outrage was important because wrongdoing and stolen taxpayer dollars attracted too much national attention. Jackley alleges Scott and Nicole Westerhuis stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Mid-Central Educational Cooperative, an organization that ran the GEAR UP program designed to empower American Indian high school students.
Like the narratives explaining the deaths of Brady Folkens and Rich Benda are sketchy Jackley’s story is that Scott Westerhuis was tipped off then killed his family, set fire to their house then shot himself and that the safe likely holding evidence went missing.
The killing of Joe Boever is just another chapter in the history of FUBAR in the South Dakota Republican Party. And they just keep getting away with it.
Ravnsborg’s political career is over. He should simply join Scott Westerhuis and Rich Benda at their places in South Dakota history.
Thank you, Mr. Kurtz for refreshing our memories of the carnage that follows the Republicans, due to their inept management of sponsored federal programs. When Democrats screw up management of grant funds, some of the funds are misspent. When Republicans screw up federal funding, from the award process through implementation, massive amounts of money are stolen and we end up knee deep in dead bodies.
Alternate universe time: John Fitzgerald would have pursued charges against Denny Sanford.
Discuss.
Mr. Zitterich certainly earns high marks for recognizing South Dakota’s legislature is corrupted beyond the imaginings of Bill Janklow and Frank Farrar.
What did I miss? I thought Mr Zitt retired from this blog.
Mr. Zitterich has never been an intelligent, attractive women speaking to Ravnsborg. If he was, he might have formed a different opinion.
The dude is sexist and a chauvinist. He doesn’t deserve your adoration.
Kinda funny:
Ravnsborg’s misconduct harmed “the image and integrity of attorneys, the bar association, and the legal profession as a whole.”
From SCOTUS/Federalist Society on down to lowly Public Defenders, the Trump lawyers, RAGA, insurance company and corporate lawyers, and pretty much every one of the Republican politicians as lawyers, their image and integrity are not qualities the public talks about positively. It was pretty obvious from the start that Col. Ravnsborg, famous Wart Hog pilot, was pretty much a pig. Standard stuff. Republicans electing idiots (quoting Liz Cheney, ironically). Rumsfeld (an actual aviator yet Georgetown Law, torture and Iraq hawk), together w/Cheney the father and Bush , lied us into the Iraq war.
Kinda funny:
Ravnsborg’s misconduct harmed “the image and integrity of attorneys, the bar association, and the legal profession as a whole.”
From SCOTUS/Federalist Society on down to lowly Public Defenders, the Trump lawyers, RAGA, insurance company and corporate lawyers, and pretty much every one of the Republican politicians as lawyers, their image and integrity are not qualities the public talks about positively. It was pretty obvious from the start that Col. Ravnsborg, famous Wart Hog pilot, was pretty much a pig.
Standard stuff.
Republicans electing idiots (quoting Liz Cheney, ironically). Rumsfeld (an actual aviator yet Georgetown Law, torture and Iraq hawk), together w/Cheney the father and Bush, lied us into the Iraq war. The whole GOP is owned by the billionaire class. The faux news network. They have no policy anything like the best interests of all the American people, much less, any good “image and integrity”.
Funny looking is what funny looking says, Mr. Zitterich.
Hey, I thought you left, never to return?
Ravnsborg was never charged with a felony, just 3 misdemeanors. Do a little research when you are not here posting because you quit.
How’s Ravnsborg’s military promotion coming. Yet “under consideration” or. ..?
I’ve tried to be open minded and patient with Mr. Zitterich but this time his lack of knowledge is laid bare. I’ve never commented here before but this defense of the former AG is too much. I’ve been a career prosecutor in South Dakota for 23 years. All experienced prosecutors, and many attorneys in the Bar, knew Ravnborg was not qualified to be AG and were very open about this fact in editorials and other means of communication. He worked only part time as a deputy states attorney in a small county shortly before he decided to run so he could say he had experience. He’s a liar and a con. He didn’t know what he was doing, he did not know how to be an administrator, he didn’t know his way around a Courtroom. We knew he would embarrass South Dakota. But he had the R behind his name. He should be disbarred and the brief license suspension is disheartening. He should never be allowed to walk into a Courtroom as a licensed attorney again.
Fitzgerald youngest is running for AG next.
I agree with SDAtty. And let’s not forget Ravnsborg’s attempt to cover up what he did. Shred the license. If a deputy or police officer did what Ravnsborg did, he would NEVER be allowed to work the streets again in law enforcement. Since Ravnsborg has successfully avoided prison, let his sentence be commuted to being someone’s unskilled labor employee in SD, where there are no jobs with living wages AND benefits. Let him experience the two-tier legislation and justice of SD from the other side of the tracks. Many in this state are already serving that prison sentence.